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Afghanistan: Include women in transition processes

A call upon the UN, better-positioned than any other entity, to support and facilitate Afghan women's involvement in
the decision-making and transition processes in the coming months.

WLUML believes that international efforts for the reconstruction of Afghanistan must promote a process guided by
the Afghan people. Afghan women are half of the Afghan people - a fact too often and too easily forgotten. It is not enough to call merely for the representation of various ethnic communities and/or factions in the decision making and
transition processes around Afghanistan. The presence of Afghan civil society, most particularly women, at the negotiation table and decision making of any peace process is vital.

We call upon the UN, that is better-positioned than any other entity, to support and facilitate Afghan women's involvement in the decision-making and transition processes in the coming months. We appreciate that the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Afghanistan, Mr Lakhdar Brahimi, has been specifically interacting with Afghan women's groups to discuss ways of including women in the transition processes led by the UN.

Also see the 'Living Draft' formulated
on 2 November 2001 by a group of women activists and scholars from Afghanistan,
the Middle East and other countries having experienced war, armed conflict and
revolution.

Please also see the 'Declaration of the Essential Rights of
Afghan Women' from June 2000 that demonstrates Afghan
women's long-standing commitment to the rebuilding of their country and the
relevant application of international law. With this declaration, Afghan women
affirm and demand for themselves the rights that were guaranteed to them under
the 1977 Afghan Constitution as well as those from numerous international
conventions.